The Assassin's Bride
by savourytrash
Summary: It has been years since Salamandastron was challenged by Ferahgo the Assassin. Dumble has told the story many times, but one of the young ones has a pressing question about Ferahgo's past that can only be answered when a feeble old fox knocks on the Abbey
1. Invasion

It has been years since Salamandastron was challenged by Feragho the Assassin. Dumble has told the story many times, but one of the young ones has a pressing question about Ferahgo's past that can only be answered when a feeble old fox knocks on the Abbey's door.

Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall. I only own this story plot and any characters not featured in the book Salamandastron.

It was a rainy night in Redwall Abbey and everyone was huddled together in Cavern Hole, talking and telling stories. An old dormouse sat in a corner by the fire, surrounded by young creatures, all eager to hear the fascinating tales from his travels. One young mole especially, who'd heard the entire story before, had a pressing question she was itching to ask. She stuck a paw up in the air and waved it around near the old creature's face, to be sure he could see it. His eyesight had been ever fading since last season.

"Yes, you little rogue, what is it?" he finally asked.

"I want to ask ee a question, zurr. If Klitch was so bad, whoi didn't his mummy ever spank ee, boi hurr?"

Dumble laughed at the little mole's naïve question. "Vermin are vermin from birth. They are raised to cheat and kill and steal. Klitch could never have turned out any different."

"Oh, but couldn't he have?" A cloaked stranger spoke from the shadows near the hearth and stepped forward. The voice was distinctly of one who had seen many seasons pass, but was deep and steady. A paw reached out from underneath the thick, black fabric and pulled back the hood. Every creature in the room gasped. Some recoiled and some leaned forward, tense and ready to fight. It was a fox, it's coat silver with age and his build unnaturally heavy and muscular. Somehow it's eyes were kind, but every beast in Redwall knew that anyone of a vermin breed was not to be trusted, not for any reason.

"Relax. I am not here to harm. I have never harmed a creature unnecessarily in my life, although you doubtless don't believe me. I came here because of the ravaging wind and rain that have interrupted my travels, and I have learned from experience never to enter through the front door. Besides, I am more seasons old than even you, Mara. What harm could I do to all of you? But, listen, young ones, gather round. I can tell you for a fact that Klitch, Ferahgo's only son, was not meant to be raised to such barbaric cruelty. His mother, had she not passed, would never have allowed it. His mother was a good creature. Let me tell you her story. If I may?"

The crowd was somehow accepting of the mysterious stranger. The atmosphere he brought with him was one of disarming calm. The fox looked up at the greying guardian of Redwall for approval, who nodded against her better judgement. He settled down in front of the ever growing crowd around him and confidently began to weave his tale.

---

Fer-Ah-Go! Fer-Ah-Go! Fer-Ah-Go! The warlike chant cut through the still night like a dagger to the heart, evil and foreboding. The Southerners of that part of the country had heard terrible stories of what came with that name: senseless war and death. Some feeble creatures who had managed to somehow escape Ferahgo's clutches had even come for refuge there. And now, he was coming to take them back, and the rest of the Southern Lands too.

Marelda sat up straight, awoken by the sound. It was not close, but it was approaching for certain. She jumped up from underneath her soft down quilt and made for the cave entrance. She could see the glow of torches coming up the path a few miles away. The horde was massive. Her fear caught in her throat and she wanted to scream. There was no way that anyone on the bank would be able to fight and win. She quickly woke the others.

Her older brother, confident and calm as always, tried to calm her while their father and a few other foxes tried to restore order to the panic that had ensued. He held her tight.

"It'll be okay, you'll see. We may not be able to fight them, but fighting is not the only way to defeat scum like that."

"What, you mean we should outwit them? Yes, yes, that seems highly probable. They'll be swarming everywhere, we won't get a chance!"

"Shh! The others are already frightened half to death already, Mar. Do you want to scare them anymore? Be calm. Panic won't solve anything. They are daring us to outwit them by that silly chant, and we have the opportunity now. What do you say? Are you with me?"

"If...if I'm going to die I might as well die trying rather than trembling...But, what could we possibly do, Klitch?"

"Atta girl! Be brave. Now, answer my questions: what are we?"

"Foxes?"

"And what do most beasts consider foxes to be?"

"Vermin."

"And what are the greasy rats and weasels several spear lengths up the road?"

"Verm-...Wait just a minute. You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?"

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. For a while anyway. It'll be a cinch. My name'll be Bloodtail and you can be-"

"They'll never be fooled by a girl."

"Sure, they will. Just grab something sharp and rusty and gather everyone you can. We'll join them at the back, and Ferahgo will come here to find a deserted camp. You with me?"

"Umm...I suppose so. But, what about the diamonds?"

"We'll take as many as we can with us, but some will obviously have to go to the dirty scum bags. Why do you keep fretting over details? We don't have much time, let's go!"

Marelda reluctantly started following her brother as he went towards the tribe's minute but deadly stash of wealth. Knives made out of perfect diamond rock, little squares of it, thin as paper but sharp enough to cut through steel, battle axes that could chop down mountains and some jewellery. She started grabbing what she could, while her brother informed the elders of his plan. But then, chaos ensued.

Rats and stoats started flooding into the cave without warning while most of the horde was still far down the path. It was an ambush. Marelda slammed the large chest of jewels and scampered towards the entrance, dodging and ducking every sharp object that was thrust her way only to run smack dab into the young weasel king himself.

Rather than killing her right then and there, he chuckled mercilessly and caught her by the wrists. "My, my, you're a slippery one, aren't you?" She kicked and thrashed in his grip. "You could be useful. Ratcage, take her with the others." A dark rat with a chipped tooth stepped forward and hit her over the head with the hilt of his knife. Everything went dark.

Marelda woke up with her face inches from a blazing bonfire and her hands tied behind her back. It was early morning and dawn would be quickly approaching. She pulled herself to a sitting position and looked around. She was tied to nine or ten other foxes- all young, more females than males. Some were awake- she could hear soft crying and curses uttered over the band that had captured them. The flickering light cast eerie shadows everywhere and she could make out fox shaped lumps on the beach. Dead beasts. They weren't called the Corpsemakers for nothing. She shuddered and bit her lip. She could not see who was dead or alive aside from the ones tied up with her. Her brother was not among them. She closed her eyes tightly to try to stop tears from flowing. He could not be dead. He had to be alive. He was near the entrance when the ambush broke out. He could've escaped... A sob escaped her lips as a hand fell heavily onto her shoulder.

"Oh, are you having a bad day? Poor thing." Ferahgo hissed in her ear.

"What do you want from us?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm merely giving you a choice. Better than anyone else here has gotten. You can either serve my horde, or you can die. Plain and simple."

"Serve your horde?"

"Yes. Hand out food rations, scratch behind their ears...Whatever they want you to do, really. It's about time my captains had lackeys. Most of the others have already made their choice. What do you choose?" Ferahgo unsheathed a knife and began polishing it with a rag, his blue eyes sparkling in the fire light.

Marelda bit her lip to keep from crying. She needed her brother's quick wit then more than ever. He'd always been good at thinking on his feet. She turned her head to look up at the weasel and murmured her answer. She would become a slave. Ferahgo smiled and nodded.

"That's what I thought." he quickly raised the knife and sliced through her bondages without warning. She had never seen anyone so fast with a weapon in her life. She looked into his sea like eyes questioningly.

"You're not feisty enough to run." The warlord walked off to another poor fox that was awakening, leaving her to imagine her fate by the fire. She waited until he was well gone to check to see if he'd found any of the treasure she'd hidden in her bedclothes. He hadn't thought to search her. She still had a slight advantage. She patted the knife that she'd secured around her hips with a piece of decorative cord. She would be able to escape with that. She looked around her to see if anyone was watching. No beast was, but she was surrounded. She remembered her brother's words. If you can't beat them, join them. A clever plan hatched in her mind in her confused state between fear and cool headedness. She somehow found the strength to smirk and laid back down near to the fire. She would prove herself to Ferahgo and then...her revenge would be as sweet as sugar.


	2. Making An Escape

It had been three days since their capture. Marelda and two other young foxes named Kesare and Garynne were the only ones who had chosen slavery over death. The rest of the tribe had not been seen, and the other ones who had been given the choice between life and death had already been killed. Marelda envied their bravery and it seemed as if her resolve to execute her plan diminished every hour. She had not breathed a word of it to the others. She wouldn't have had time to even if she wanted to. The vermin kept them working in the worst of ways- carrying their armour for miles at a time, cooking and serving them food, picking the nits out of their fur… The work was non-stop and almost always under the deceptively calm eyes of Ferahgo. Marelda guessed that they were his guinea pigs. He wanted to see if they improved horde morale. She intended to prove him wrong.

The final push for her was meeting Ferahgo's right hand beast, Fleshclaw. A nasty looking weasel with no tail and a wandering eye, he was the worst of all the vermin that they had met. His orders were the most demanding of all, between the paw massages and carrying his armour trunk which weighed about as much as a full grown badger. His eyes were always on anything but their worn faces and he scared them all with his threats of being skinned alive by Ferahgo. He was menacing and perverted and needed a good skinning himself. When he demanded for the thirtieth time for Marelda to feed him extra rations like a king, without having to lift a paw, she thought of Klitch and how he would never stand for such treatment. With bitter tears in her eyes, she did what was bid of her. That night would be the last night she would be under his command.

----

It was late at night, but Marelda wasn't the only one awake. The slaves were chained at night, thanks to Kesare who tried to escape once and failed. Ferahgo had put guards on them anyway, though. He wanted to seem like he was in total control, she saw that. That was why she had been out of her ropes the first night. But he underestimated her. He was about to realize that.

Marelda slipped a thin sliver of diamond out of her sleeve and cut through her ropes like they were liquid butter. The guards didn't notice. Half of the idiots were asleep and the other half were chatting and hitting each other over the head. She could simply bribe them, but she didn't want to cause a fuss. And she wanted Ferahgo to feel uneasy. Bribing was something even a babe could figure out how to do.

So, she slowly began to roll, stopping every couple of feet. If any beast were to look over, they'd think she was turning in her sleep. The other two didn't notice. A thousand badgers' war cry would not have woken them. They had been dead on their feet since they awoke anyway.

Somehow, she made it to the bushes. She wasted no time getting up and scrambling into a tree. Considering she wasn't a squirrel, it was not an easy task. Foxes weren't meant to climb things. Branches rustled and twigs fell. Her tail got caught on a limb or two. Nearby vermin looked into the darkness of the forest, but didn't venture any closer, muttering something about a frightening creature that haunted the woodlands. The legend served Marelda well. She remained undiscovered, although she was sure her fast paced heartbeat could be heard for miles around.

After one treacherous jump after another, she scrambled down to hide in the undergrowth of the forest. It was a sheer miracle that no beast had noticed. She was within reach of Ferahgo's private tent by then. It was easy to spot to be sure. None of the other vermin, even the captains, had one without massive holes in the sides. Ferahgo's tent also sported the Corpsemaker's flag and had nobody lounging around it within a ten paw radius. She didn't blame any one of them. The next part of her plan was to sit and wait, while she summoned her courage.

Inside, safe from the elements, sat Ferahgo comfortably on a feather down cot, analysing a map and planning his next move. Settlements in the woodlands were hard to mark, due to inaccessibility by his men and nomadic tribes. He didn't want to waste time chasing after baby hedgehogs and ancient molemaids. Conquering the known world was a time consuming job and he wanted to complete his mission before he was too old to wield a sword.

His best option, he finally decided, rested on the tales of a great, stone castle. His spies had seen it from a distance, but had said that they had been turned back too soon to explore it, for whatever reason. He didn't care. It sounded like his best bet, whether inhabited or abandoned, it could be valuable. As long as he could keep his men's morale up for the long traveling that it would require to get there.

"Sir!" A weasel interrupted his train of thought, poking his head inside the tent, an urgent tone to his voice.

Ferahgo rose dangerously from his seat. "What is it now?"

"There's something in the woods. They're all talking about it- they say it's the Veruim. They're all too afraid to see what it is, chief."

"Well go see for yourself, nut brain!"

"But, see, sir…the Veruim is a very dangerous thing, sir. You wouldn't want anything to happen to me, I'm-"

"Get out of my way, then. I'll show this sorry excuse for an army what fear really is." He drew his favorite skinning knife from a strap across his chest and stalked out of the tent, growling insults and threatening to kill them all in the worst ways imaginable if they didn't pull themselves together. Marelda's plan was working better than she'd expected. She slipped inside the tent and made herself comfortable on his cot, awaiting the deceptive leader's return with baited breath.

It was only ten minutes later when Ferahgo stormed back into his tent, muttering under his breath about the incompetence of the creatures at his disposal.

"It must be hard for you, leading a battalion that's terrified of a little old fox maid. It's a wonder they've conquered anything at all." Marelda said cooly. Ferahgo looked up from where he was re-arming himself with more knives from his arms chest. A look of surprise crossed his face, an expression that filled her with confidence. She obviously had the upper hand.

"Anyone could make better guards than those imbeciles you had on us. Don't worry, Garynne and Kesare are both still sleeping soundly under the not so watchful eyes of…was it Cuttail and Snarlface? Or was it Snarltail and Cutface? They both look as ugly as the other, it's hard to tell which is which…"

Ferahgo stuck his head out of the tent, looking at where his slaves were kept. The idiots weren't even paying attention, but there were still two bodies there, their chests gently lifting with each breath. He looked back at her, regaining his composure. He had never underestimated anyone that badly before. What he thought was her acting, was impressing him. Marelda was surprised that he wasn't detecting her fear. She was terrified, angry and anxious. Thinking of Klitch was the only reason she wasn't shaking. She had to act like him. She had to get justice for him.

"I'm going to cut to the chase, Ferahgo. May I call you by your first name? I scared your entire horde by rustling a few branches. Never mind escaping. Here's what I want: to join your horde. First rate. Not like those other slobs sitting out there. I've proven to you I've at least got more cunning than they do- not a hard crowd to beat in that department, mind you, but I'm obviously worth something."

"Ha. And what makes you think that I'd trust you?"

"Because I've also got a little secret you might want to trust me about." She pulled out the sliver of diamond from her sleeve again and held it up so it shone in the dim light of the nearby campfires. "Do you like shiny things, Ferahgo?"

"Is that diamond?"

Marelda pulled out a knife from her other sleeve and Ferahgo's manner changed. "Give me one of your knives." He obliged. She cut it in half with one swipe and raised an eyebrow. "I have more where that came from. My tribe mined those caves until there was not a sliver of diamond left, and hid most of it in places only they would find for security. I am the daughter of the chief. I know where to get more diamonds than you can carry. Rather fit for a great ruler, such as you plan to be, wouldn't you say? But if you think for one second that I would ever tell you, then you're mistaken. If you let me out of my duties, I will make sure that we both get what we want. I may be a fox, but I was taught how to keep my word unlike your horde."

Ferahgo sat down beside her calmly and took the diamond knife from her paw. "And why should I not take all that you have on you and torture you for the answers? I'm more inclined towards win-lose situations in my favour then I am in win-win ones. It's just so much more fun that way." He slid the smooth side of the blade down her arm slowly, but she refused to flinch. It was a game to him, but she was not about to play by his rules. Only by his code of ethics.

"Okay, fine. Don't take my offer. But even if I tell you where they all are, there's no guaruntee you'll find them. They're all across the globe, from here to the vast ocean, to the cavernous mountains, to the great, mystical, sanctuary of the castle Redwall, to-"  
"Redwall…yes…What do you know about Redwall? Where is it?"

"A far ways North from here. It is an impressive place, or so I've been told."

Ferahgo nodded knowingly. "Tell me what you've been told."

"If that's what you'd prefer to barter, then the offer still stands."

His blue eyes looked deep into hers, analysing his position. Before him stood a smart, strong young fox with cunning he had not expected. She had information and obvious riches. What could he possibly stand to lose? He grinned and reached out a paw.

"You have a deal. Welcome to the Corpsemakers."


	3. Diamonds and Death

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, I appreciate them. Sorry this chapter took so long to post, it was a combo of writers block and my evil history teacher… . **_

Moments after Ferahgo spread the word of Marelda's promotion her life changed dramatically. Again. No longer was she roped and taunted, but she turned heads when she passed and she could hear the vermin whispering like little old ladies about her. Her and the Veruim. She smirked every time she heard that name. Old wive's tales of old worked wonders on the superstitious, weak minded beasts. Timidly she walked through crowds to find her own little space near the edge of the woods where she wouldn't be disturbed. Falling asleep would not be easy, she knew, but she'd have to get used to such conditions. Her plan was for the long haul.

She was not used to sleeping on hard ground, though, or feeling a cold wind against her fur as she slept. But a warm bed was certainly not the thing that she missed most. Not the food, not the friendly chatter, not the flickering glow of a fire. She missed her mother's out of tune lullabies that she would sing to the babes, and her father's loud snoring. She missed Klitch's mischievous whisper when he'd sometimes wake her in the early hours of the morning to sneak out of the cave and collect dewy wildflowers to surprise someone. She missed her friends, and the subconscious assurance of always having someone close by if she needed it. But the same three words kept running through her head: Klitch, revenge and plan…She'd form her own tribe again, and things would be how they used to be. But first things first: Ferahgo had to pay.

The next day the horde was moving again, Northwards. Marelda walked in pace with Ferahgo to make good on her deal, telling him everything she knew about a place called Redwall. He seemed especially fascinated by the grandeur of the place and the food, although it was hard to read a beast like him. He asked many questions, but tended not to ask too much about why nobody had conquered the place before. Whenever she didn't know how to answer one, she made an educated guess, and Ferahgo was secretly impressed by her intelligence. Of course, working with boneheads every day, it was always a treat to meet someone who knew more than a rotten potato. A treat, or a curse. Ferahgo was many things, but he wasn't an idiot. He was keeping his baby blues close on her every move. Cleverness was just another weapon in her arsenal, along with those shiny little tidbits she'd promised him she'd help him find. Ferahgo wasn't about to say for sure he'd hit the jackpot yet, but he was close. Very close.

"Tell me about those other foxes. Keesar and…Erin?"

"Kesare and Garynne. There is not anything to tell about them. No more to tell about them than about me, really."

"Exactly. What is a bunch of foxes doing out here, living…peacefully?" It seemed to almost injure him to say the word 'peacefully' out loud. Marelda was somehow not surprised.

"We've been out here for generations. Only the elders can- could- remember a time when we weren't established." _And you've destroyed all of those generations of hard work, making us like noble creatures you monster, _she thought bitterly.

"Tell me about it. About the tribe. About you…I love ironic stories of betrayal."

"I don't betray. I simply stay alive. You should know the difference. And why should I tell you all of this without you telling me how you came into power, anyway?"

"Do you know how many would dare to speak to me like that? Nobody who wants to live. I don't give anything in return- I own you. I own the entire south."

"You should know by now that you don't intimidate me. Why should you kill me? You need me. I'm not stupid enough to give you information about every single pitfall we'll meet along the way. Not until we get there, at any rate. And if you're thinking what I think you are, like I said before, I simply stay alive. Loyalty has nothing to do with it."

Ferahgo smiled genuinely- a rare thing. "I grew up in a horde, I didn't like the way things were being run when I got older, so I formed my own band and conquered them later. Simple story. Now, tell me yours. I want to know how you're the only bright one of your entire pitiful family."

"From the beginning, then. It was a long time ago that we were started. It was in the far Eastern lands, farther than most decent creatures have ever been…

His name was Grayscar- a silver fox with a deep gash across his back. Supposedly due to his mother's slashing him across with a knife as a babe for taking too many candied acorns. Only a rumor, and completely besides the story, but nobody ever doubted that story. He was young and fierce, not unlike you, killing anything in his path with a massive weapon unlike that any beast has ever created before or after him. It was a long stick, with eight skythe like points- one pointing in each direction around either end, each with a different purpose. One for skinning, one for plain killing, one for torture, one for cooking meat, one for…Well, you get the idea. You're the last person who needs a list of all the uses for knives. The point is, he was fearsome.

He was a one man army, defeating many through strategy and intimidation. He'd do nothing for anyone, for any price. He had no friends, no allies, no family- no true enemies, for those you hate, and he had no emotion. That was at least until he saw the Ferodian treasure of Alkamoor- the diamonds. It was a treasure unlike one he had ever seen. It sparkled like a kind man's eyes, yet it could slice through anything he desired. Every time he looked at it, he saw himself in more ways than one. He had to have it. It was kept by a small family of moles, who had mined it for season after season uncountable. It seemed a simple task. Yet, after killing them, something strange happened to him that had never happened before: it haunted him. He couldn't escape their terrified faces as he entered their small domain, their screams… So he secluded himself. He went deep into the woods, to the caves where you found us. He lived there alone for a number of years as a hermit, his trove of diamonds beside him as a constant reminder to what he had done.

There were always rumours among the people that he was there. He was a ferocious foreigner, supposedly with a bottomless supply of riches. Thus, you can imagine many dared to take some for themselves. There was an especially ruthless family cluster of foxes that came to his doorstep. He had given up on killing- usually just weilding his infamous weapon was enough to scare them off. But they would not take no for an answer. The elders said that he saw himself in them and despised it. Perhaps he wanted servants, or just to see another creature now and again, or wanted to change them for the better. Either way, he used his skills, and captured them before they really knew what had happened.

And all that anybody knows about the events after that is…nothing. More foxes came and joined the tribe, two or three families, not entirely of their own accord and Grayscar- who later renamed himself Grumple for some odd reason- he saw to it that the vermin were nice to each other. Nobody dared to disobey him. Eventually he died, and some left to become what they were before, but the younger ones stayed, not knowing any other way of life and enjoying it. After some of them left, others took sackfulls of the diamonds and dispersed them around the globe to keep them safe from those who had left. Their locations have been passed down in riddles from generation to generation. That is the story of the diamonds."

"And your story?"

"Not much more to tell in my story than you told me in yours. I was raised by the leader of the tribe, led a good, pampered life."

"And how you got your…Shall we say, less than noble streak?"

"I have an older brother. Pushed me around. I learned mean tricks very early on in life." She lied, almost testily. She was about to mention that now would be a good time to stop for lunch when a scrawny little rat by the name of Blackbreath interrupted them.

"Your highness? Sir? Your lordship? Please, sir-"

"Stop calling me names and snivelling." Ferahgo snapped. "Just spit it out, rat!"

"Yes, your emperor-ness. You see…there's a slight problem with the…er…rations. There was a miscalculation of some sort and, it certainly wasn't my fault, chief. You can be assured of that! This whole mess is certainly not my-"

"What's the problem with the rations?!" He roared. The entire company stopped and became silent as baby church mice at midnight to hear what the rat had to say. Or, rather, what Ferahgo might do to him if Blackbreath annoyed him any further.

"There's no…there's no more food, sir."

Ferahgo's menacing glare turned to a kindly, twisted smile. "Well, then. Is that all?"  
"Yes sir."

"Good. Then I won't need you any longer." All Marelda saw was a glint of metal in the sunlight before the rat collapsed, dead, into her arms. Her mouth fell open, but no scream emerged as she dropped the body with a thud.

"If there's no food, then fend for yourselves you timid mouse maids!" Ferahgo roared. The entire company scattered amidst the forest, apparently engulfed by their passion for finding food. The tyrant turned and looked at her, his blue eyes betraying an emotion different than the one portrayed by his dangerous scowl.

"Get some food off the others and then join me with it. I want to continue our little chat." He walked away to find the best place to seat himself and Marelda felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Kesare.

"How can you associate yourself with such a monster? I thought that you were more noble than that. Distance yourself from him now, while you still have the chance. Slavery is better than such horrid betrayal as you show us. And your family." She walked away weakly, not allowing Marelda time enough to reply. Tears came to her eyes. Soon enough they'd see she was not one of them. Soon enough she'd be able to set everyone free…


	4. Blood on Her Hands

Midnight was approaching. Marelda lay awake on her cot, awaiting the right moment to strike and contemplating her day with Ferahgo. When his temper was soothed by information and tales of old, he did not seem so bad as his reputation would have one believe. But that was about as far as her compliments to him went. His deep blue eyes were mesmerizing and deceiving, and his mood swings were as deadly as a bear awoken prematurely from it's hibernation. A monster of mythical proportions. His crew were scared of some old wives' tale about a beast called Veruim, but they had more reason to shake and cower and run from Ferahgo. But it was hopeless to try and make nut brained scoundrels like the Corpsemaker band see any sort of sense.

She slipped out quickly once she felt the time was right. She was still not about to escape. Not with her family's murder still hanging over her head like a dark, vengeful cloud, with Klitch's voice egging her on with every step of her plan. She slunk in the bushes around the camp, being careful to be as silent as she could. And then hopping out into plain sight and scaring the vermin guarding Garynne and Kesare half out of their wits.

"Hello ladies and slaves. I'm going to count to ten…"

-----

Ferahgo was in an outrage. You could hear his cries of fury from miles away. He held Garynne and Kesare's guards at sword point in his tent. Outside there was a crowd gathering. Marelda was one of the onlookers, but not obviously so. She was afraid their blood would end up on her hands.

"You bone heads! You could not contain two weak, demoralized, unarmed, unskilled, stupid, fox maids! They were chained in iron while they slept and surrounded on all sides, you imbeciles! It's practically a talent to be able to let them escape!" He roared.

They all started blubbering at once, on the ground groveling and trying to explain their situation. But Ferahgo was not in the mood to stop and listen. He was in the mood to kill his entire horde. But they would just have to do.

"You know, perhaps I should wait until my tracking team comes back, and let Gary and Kes…something or other skin you alive themselves! Two pathetic girls could be of better use to me than you five are!"

"We'll never do it again sir. It'll never happen again, sir. Please don't kill us sir. It's not our fault!"

"Oh, really? Well whose fault is it then? The fang fairy?!" His deep blue eyes sparkled with danger and made them cower under his fixed glare. And with good reason. They were dead within seconds. Marelda turned her back to the crowd and silently grieved what she had done.

She went to Ferahgo's tent later that evening, despite his horrid mood. He did not seem displeased to see her, but he certainly wasn't happy. He didn't greet her, he just sat on his cot and stared down at a crude map of his kingdom.

"Does the stupidity amaze you more than it frustrates you, or the other way round?"

He looked up. "The frustration comes from how amazed I am that someone could be that stupid. I am emperor of a thousand worlds but not one of my subjects serves me. If they do, they do it incorrectly."

_Perhaps because no one would dream of wanting to serve the scum of the earth so devotedly as you require. _"That is the price of cunning, my lord. On one side you are the smartest and the most powerful, on the other side, everyone you meet is less intelligent and you are utterly alone."

"You speak wisely. What is it you want?"

"There is a spy among your horde. They scared the guards away and set the slaves free to thwart you. I also cannot swallow the fact that the guards- imbeciles that they are- could honestly be so careless and dumb. I felt you should hear that I am also on the look out for him."

"Yes…that crossed my mind as well. Although I already have my suspicions on who it could be." He looked at her with a knowing glance. Marelda could only hope that that didn't mean that he was actually onto her plan. Throwing the blame quickly onto someone else would get suspicion off herself. But, perhaps she'd underestimated him..

-----

"They're so cute, don't you think, Marelda? With their tiny swords, and their little bickering, and the way that they always have so much confidence that they can defeat beasts three times their size. I think we should take them. Just for fun, get morale boosted. See if you've got what it takes…"

Marelda was disgusted at his sentiments, looking down at the shrew tribe from their place on a hill. They could never defeat the Corpsemakers, and they didn't deserve to die. She felt sick to her stomach, but a little voice in the back of her head- one that sounded uncannily like Klitch's- was telling her to accept the challenge.

"What kind of test do you have in mind? I love a challenge."

Ferahgo smiled. "I want you fighting on the front lines. If you're as cunning as I believe you are, you'll pull more than your weight. If not, well, I can't use you if you can't fight anyway."

"Will I receive any help, considering I've never wielded a weapon before, or will I have to develop my own skills and technique?"

He looked at her. "If you need help, I'm sure you'll find a way to get it. That's half the challenge in itself."

"And how are you planning to defeat the shrews? Not that one really needs a plan…" She snickered and felt sick. _Maybe they__'__re tougher than they look. _She thought hopefully.

Ferahgo smiled evilly and nodded. "War is a game of strategy, Marelda. An addictive, high stakes game, and I enjoy playing it to the best of my ability, no matter how small the battle. My plans are simple, however. We let them work out their own battle plans as we advance into their line of sight. While a small team of skilled fighters surrounds them on the other side. We storm in, the other half traps them. A simple, efficient slaughter of innocent lives, with a little plunder to boot. It'll be a good day. Speaking of plunder, I wouldn't mind a new knife for the occasion. Is there a stash hidden around here, or am I being led from the diamond path by Redwall?"

"Between the trees that are mighty but small, look under the rock that's tall. Sparkles wait near there for you, take three paces west after you speak to the shrew." She quoted. "Do you see those bushes over there? The ones with the thick branches? They're only a few footpaws high, but they're the thickness of a tree. Mighty but small. I think that riddle pertains to here."

"I expect you back in one hour. Bring me something I can be proud to wear in battle, fox."  
Marelda scuttled away, despising the thought of him holding the family treasure in his hands, but also not wanting to fail. Perhaps that was the real test he spoke of. Not the battle plans. She slowly made her way through the undergrowth to the edge of the shrew camp. An especially officious looking one with a sort of crown on his head spotted her instantly. She soon found herself with a shrew sword to her throat.

"Please, come closer to me, hidden by the trees. If he sees me here doing anything but speaking to you about diamonds, I will be killed. But if you do not speak to me, your tribe will die. Please, trust me. Feragho and the Corpsemakers are planning to exterminate you."

A small crowd gathered before her, all of them drawing their swords. Then, the one she considered to be chief uttered one single string of syllables…


	5. Accusations

Ferahgo was still watching from the hill as the shrews tried to impale her, shouting their battle cry and jabbing threateningly at her with their short swords. He smiled. If she could get out of that one, she would be worthy. If not, well, she'd been hopeful at the start. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he almost felt sorry to see her go. He turned to one of his right hand commanders.

"Remove the carcass if there's a carcass left to remove by the end of it. I don't want my front lines to have to jump over any excess trash as they stomp out that sad little tribe."

The shadowy stoat nodded, smiling greedily. "As you say master." Ferahgo turned and walked back to his tent, his blue eyes glinting in the sunlight.

Marelda didn't have time to think, only to react as she was surrounded by the surprisingly fierce warriors. She jumped and took hold of a high branch, hoisting herself up to momentary safety. But the little buggers were good climbers too. She scrambled upwards, to give herself time to think, shouting down all the while that she meant no harm. _What would Klitch do?_ Hot tears built up in her eyes and dripped off her whiskers. She wasn't cut out for such a life. She wanted to go home. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

Marelda turned to the ever approaching shrew and turned up the waterworks. "Please, please don't hurt me! Feragho kidnapped me and took me away from home! I just want some food and water and a place to sleep! Please don't hurt me! I'm too young to die."

Their chief held up a hand at her emotional plea and stopped the mob silently. Even Ferahgo didn't have that kind of control over his army, that a mere gesture could control them.

"You said you had information! Why would you change your story now? Come down and talk, fox. But be assured we do not trust you."

She jumped down and was escorted to a place by the fire, obviously nervous, with tears still lingering in her eyes. One of the women handed her a bowl of soup, despite the other's scowls. At least she had one person fooled. She sipped at the steaming liquid hungrily, burning her tongue in the process.

"I am Logalog, leader of the guerilla union of shrews in Mossflower. Your name? For all of us to know."

"Marelda, an advisor to…that horrible monster of a beast up on that Southern facing hill. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it once more, I mean no harm. My tribe was killed-"

"I asked for a name, child. No narrative." He ordered her, but in a softer tone. "You alluded to having information."

"I know how he is going to attack you. I don't know how you'd defeat him, but…The least I can do is warn you."

"We are stronger than we look. How do we know that you're not just a spy?"

"The shrews will tell all, look for the greatest, he will show you the herb, and dig by three o'clock at the latest." She quoted, truthfully then.

Logalog looked at her for a good while. The bickering between the other shrews seemed to fall away under his steady gaze. She did not shift or flinch, but simply presented herself as she was. She was not weak and helpless completely, but she had no one else. He finally nodded, understanding what she was telling him with her eyes.

"Tell us the battle plans, and I will show you the diamonds. Although why you let Ferahgo reap the reward of your ancestors discipline I know not."

"I will gain it all back. Klitch and I have a plan…"

-----

The tyrant lounged comfortably on his cot, bored and discontent, but still in a good mood. His deep blue eyes stared deep into the red wine he'd saved from the foxes' lair, and that seemed to be the source of it all. His trouble started with those foxes. And Redwall. He thought about it obsessively, and although he would never admit a fault, that began to worry him. He was strong minded and cunning, not an insane evil overlord. He put down his drink and fell back onto his pillow, listening to the sounds of the forest and the bickering of his commanders. He enjoyed pitting them against one another occasionally, just to hear how egotistical they really were. Of course, they were better behaved than the other Corpsemakers, and were consistently deadly, but they were still vermin. If only they had brains, they could be great. He'd only met one beast who had the brains…

"Your knife, Ferahgo."

He jumped up quickly and stared at the ghost at the entrance of his tent. Marelda was dead. She had to be. But there she stood, a gleaming, fatal weapon in her paws. She had done it, somehow. He was too shocked to decide whether she was then a threat or an asset, after apparently showing her fighting skills. Marelda grinned. She almost had him wrapped around her finger, and he didn't even know it.

"What, you thought you were sending me to my death? Sorry. Here is the item you asked for. Anything else you desire?"

"I want you with me on the field, defeating the shrews tomorrow. Meet me here at dawn. We strike then." Marelda bowed and left, confident and terrified at the same time.

Dawn came all too soon, but Ferahgo was ready with his legions. She was more than intimidated by the hordes of heavily armed vermin surrounding her. It reminded her of her capture. Not to mention creatures as idiotic as they were should never have been given sharp, pointed objects in the first place. She could very well die that day, if Ferahgo managed to figure out she'd let on to the shrews their plan. Hopefully Logalog was as trustworthy as he seemed.

"It is quiet there. I would not have assumed that they would still be sleeping. That'll make it almost too easy."

"It was too easy to begin with, wasn't it?"

"Of course. What did you say to them when you were down there yesterday?"

"Just enough to get to the diamonds. They assumed nothing of me as soon as I turned on the waterworks."

He suddenly held his knife to her throat. "I will give you one chance to tell me the truth and get a quick death. How much have you betrayed of our plans?"


	6. Surprises

Marelda looked him calmly in the eye, having determined already earlier that morning that if she was to die, she was not to die snivelling like a vermin. "If you really thought that I had betrayed you, you would not be asking. Why would I bother trying to save that lot? Just because they sleep in does not mean I'm a traitor."

He let his paw fall to his side, reluctantly. He was eager to kill that day. Too eager. He wanted to smell the coppery scent of blood as it ran past his paws. His chest swelled up at the thought of having such power. His lustrous but empty eyes betrayed his thoughts to Marelda, who wanted to vomit. He sensed something was wrong but he was too controlled by his own shortcomings- his addiction to power and control- to notice it. The shrews would be able to defend perfectly, she knew it.

Soon the signal was given for his best fighters to assemble before him. They already had heard inklings of his plan, but none of them knew exactly what was happening. They were more threatening than Ferahgo himself, their demeanour menacing and their eyes sharp and dark. Marelda stayed close to their leader. They were all killers, but she was sticking close to the one who gave her the best misguided sense of security.

There were seven of them, like the seven deadly sins. Each held only one visible weapon. Poison tipped arrows, slings, swords and maces. They all hid under a uniform of dark green cloaks- the perfect shade to blend into the bushes. Ferahgo did not seem threatened at all. In fact, they almost seemed afraid of him. She had never imagined the stronger vermin to be afraid of anything except for a good wash.

"Go around to the east side, do not show yourselves. Simply stop them from fleeing. I want them all dead. If you fail, you had better start running with the little buggers you let get away. Am I clear?" They nodded silently and slipped away into the shadows. Marelda made a mental note to make sure she was not being watched, with those kinds of creatures hiding away near the camp. Ferahgo turned to her, smirking.

"Remember, I can smell fear. And so can they."

"I think it is healthy to have a little fear of those beasts."

"But not of me."

"You are cunning and deceptive. And it is easier to be safe when you know you're playing a deadly game. With those creatures, you don't know what kind of game they're playing. It's the not knowing that is more dangerous."

Ferahgo smiled. "Wise. Very wise reasoning. Let's assemble the rest of our force. The fight begins soon."

Let_ us _assemble the rest of _our _force. Marelda mulled the sentence over in her mind. That was big. By the time she was able to head him off at Redwall, she might be able to get him to the point where she could eventually desert without any repercussions. Despite the fact he was ready to kill her that morning. But she didn't believe he ever would have. Suspicion of the new kid was in his job description.

Soon the horde was ready to charge. Thousands of them, assembled in front of Ferahgo, with her in the front lines. She could smell their sweat and heart their eager grunts. They were ready for a kill, but would soon be disappointed. Marelda was silent, but armed with two daggers from the diamond stash. She looked the part of a cold blooded murderer perfectly. Ferahgo outlined their plan, and then they began a brisk jog to where the shrew camp lay.

The Corpsemakers burst forth, running into an empty clearing. Marelda pretended to look baffled. Ferahgo was tense and talking to him would result in injury, she was certain. The silence was somehow deafening. Until it was suddenly broken by,

"Logalogalogalogalogalogalog!" Shrews pounced on the vermin as if they were raining from the sky, having the element of surprise on their side. Ferahgo's blades were going a thousand miles an hour, but their small bodies were nimble and made hard targets for even the best archers and swordsmen. Marelda merely ducked and swung half heartedly at their tails, staying well out of the line of fire. All she could hope was that Ferahgo's pride would not be hurt by a reasonable retreat, considering half his legions were already deserting the battle. As long as Logalog didn't run out of shrews before that happened…

And their plan worked perfectly. Soon, there were only a few loyal fighters, plus Marelda- if you could call her a fighter. Feragho soon made short work of getting up the hill back to safety, and the rest followed him like cattle.

Once out of the battleground, Feragho was smiling dangerously. Even the dumbest of the horde had the presence of mind to stand back. It was all that Marelda could do not to start shaking.

"Who has betrayed us?" He said slowly, deliberately. His eyes caught hers and he stepped towards her. But before he could make another move, two of the cloaked fighters brought forward a screaming, flailing shrew. Feragho whirled around to face him and everything went silent.

"Ah, what do we have here? A little deserter I presume. Not as brave as your counterparts are we?"

"No, master." Said one of the hooded figures. "I found this one trying to cover up a hole beside your tent. He's been spying on us."

Marelda pretended to be surprised, like all the rest. He'd been found just in the nick of time, the poor shrew. He was going to die anyway, of a slow poison from a bad root he'd eaten. Still, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, watching the inevitable unfold before her eyes.

The hooded figures stepped back with a wave of their master's paw and Feragho began circling his victim. The shrew tried to run, but his path was cut of suddenly by a knife landing inches from his footpaws. He turned around quickly, terrified.

"What is your name, friend?" The assassin began innocently. "We need beasts as smart and brave as you on our side…"

"I could never join such murderous a side as yours."

"Good. That means I can _really_ make an example out of your death." He moved like lightning, grabbing the creature by his ankle and dangling him upside down in front of everyone. "Listen up! This is what happens to spies- ah!" A tiny shrew rapier was stabbed into the assasin's exposed side, and everyone gasped. Feragho lost his grip momentarily, but adrenaline and rage instantly clouded his mind and the shrew was mercifully dead in a few bloody seconds. Feragho soon collapsed next to his victim.

He woke up on his cot, a throbbing pain in his side, but warm blankets over him. The smell of strong herbs and smoke from a fire filled his nostrils. He opened his eyes.

Marelda looked over and smiled at him. "You're awake. Good. Had me worried there for a while. Well, maybe worried isn't quite the right word…" _It's really more like, excited at the prospect of your death and not having to carry out the full extent of my plan for revenge._

_She was sitting in front of a tiny cooking fire, stirring a small pot full of bits from the forest she'd made into a stew. The herb smells he'd noticed were from what she'd put inside of his bandages- witch hazel and other healing plants. She smiled at him and offered him some of the thick broth._

"_Don't sit up, just tilt your head. That's it." Feragho sipped greedily, his pain obviously not compromising his appetite._

"_How long have you been here? You've been doting on me like I'm some sick little mole babe."_

"_Guilty as charged. I've been here since you were carried in. You lost a lot of blood. It's been a while. Three hours, possibly more. Do you want anything?"_

_He didn't reply, he only looked at her. Long and hard, his deep blue eyes analysing, testing, observing. His expression was unreadable, all she could tell was that he was pleased. Genuinely for once. She had never seen him with that kind of shine in his eye, but it was soft and didn't scare her. She didn't dare to break the silence, either. He could keep on staring until he faded out again, what did she care?_

_Finally, he spoke. "What I want is not the question. What do you want from me?"_

"_I don't want anything."_

"_Of course you do. Why else would you be here? Cut to the chase. I'm not exactly in a position to deny you much of anything right now."_

"_Just because I take care of someone when they're hurt, however murderous and cunning they may be, does not mean I demand anything in return. Besides, when is it ever a bad thing just to be on your good side?" She asked with a smile. This was the first time that the leader had ever seemed even relatively human to her- sitting there, vulnerable and gentle mannered. This was the first time his baby blues had not been piercing. She almost felt herself feeling sorry for him._

_He smiled. "I see…Is that what you were taught in the tribe, this…kindness?"_

"_Yes. Some things from your childhood you just can't shake. I'm sure you can relate. Are your bandages tight enough?" She reached out a paw to check, but he caught it swiftly._

"_Why did you stay out in the battlefield until I retreated? You know nothing of battle. That is more than kindness. You must want something."_

"_No. You said I should prove myself there, and that I did. I am not a complete coward, unlike some of your horde. Now, I hate to have to tell you to do something, but you're going to have to relax if you ever want to heal up within the season." She removed her paw from his and put out the fire, aiming to leave and let him rest, but Feragho stopped her from leaving with a question._

"_As an advisor, Marelda, answer me something. Do such wounds come with a change of temperment and a rather…warm feeling?"_

"_What do you mean by warm feeling? Do you have a fever?" She suddenly was concerned. If he had caught something from that poisoned shrew, the entire horde could be in trouble- especially her._

"_No, not that kind of feeling. It's like-"_

_A fat, vile smelling rat suddenly entered the assassin's private chamber, interrupting him. There was a parcel in his arms, wrapped in thick cloth. The rat looked confused about something._

_Feragho sat up in his cot, not showing any pain in his face, but it had to be more than excruciating. All you could tell was that he was ticked off again. Marelda wisely stepped back from in between the two, just in case it was more bad news. Feragho was surely one to shoot the messenger._

"_Your highness, we have a problem." The rat tipped the package forward slightly and the wrappings fell off. The parcel giggled with delight and began to drool…_


	7. Chapter 7

It was a babe. A small, cuddly, weasel babe with big, sparkling eyes and a laugh that made Ferahgo's blood boil. Marelda quickly snatched the poor thing from the dirty rat's half-hearted paw hold and began looking it over for scratches or bruises made by indelicate vermin. Miraculously the thing looked healthy. And sweet. She'd never seen a vermin babe up close before. He didn't look like he had been born with a sharp, pointed object in his hand...

"Ugh. Get rid of it. This is no place for a babe. Where'd it come from?"

"We don't know, chief. It just kinda...arrived."

"So there is a female amongst us other than the foxmaid..." He muttered to himself. "Kill it. Drop it off in the woods somewhere. It's not my problem."

Marelda could not hide her horror this time. Killing full grown beasts was one thing, but killing a helpless, innocent babe? That went beyond mere sadism.

"Get rid of it? This thing couldn't cause trouble if it wanted to!" She protested angrily.

"It's a liability I cannot afford. Besides, do you really think such a fragile thing would last ten minutes in the middle of the Corpsemaker's camp?"

"If I were allowed to take care of it, most certainly. Besides, you have your legacy to think about. Would you not want an heir for your kingdom after your seasons are gone?"

Ferahgo blinked pensively and stared at the babe for a moment, then nodded and laid back down on his cot. "You are dismissed, rat. Marelda, you can stay." She approached him cautiously once the rat was gone and knelt down beside him with the babe gurgling in her arms.

"If you can take care of him, we shall keep him. Just keep him out of my way. But if I have an heir, I must also have...a bride." he looked at her expectantly, but Marelda took awhile to get the hint. When she did, she gasped and looked at him, confused.

"What are you saying, that...me and you...? I think that wound has gone to your head. You need to get some rest..." She quickly stomped out the cooking fire and rushed out of the tent, with the weasel babe still in her arms. What the heck did he want her for? She hated him? She despised every fibre of his being...and yet, there she stood, one of his horde, holding his future heir and having bandaged a potentially mortal wound for him. Why hadn't she just let him die when she had the chance? She looked down into the small weasel's endearing eyes. She had too much of an ingrained sense of justice to just let such a powerful man die helplessly. She had to play a fair game. But what was she supposed to do now? Just keep sabotaging him for the rest of her life? Well, if that was what she had to do to avenge Klitch's death, she'd just have to suck it up and do what needed to be done.

The next morning she went into Ferahgo's tent again, early at dawn. He was asleep, peaceful for once. She started up the cooking fire, with the babe in a sling, tied tightly across her back. He was asleep too. Marelda had decided to name him Klitch, hoping she could raise him to be just like the brother she'd lost, so she could one day know for sure that the Corpsemakers would be no more under his rule. Her son's rule if it hadn't just been a fever talking the night before.

After a few minutes of heating some plain bread over the fire, the assassin began to stir, opening his cool blue eyes and groaning. She smiled at him weakly, and opened a flask of water.

"Did you sleep soundly? How's the pain?"

"No, of course I did not sleep soundly. The pain is excruciating. And don't ask me how I feel. You're smarter than that, aren't you?"

She put a cup of water to his lips and he drank quickly. He was not in a good mood that morning, so she made a mental note to tread carefully. She lightly touched his wound and he spit the water out and yelled in pain. It was infected. She put a wet cloth on his brow and instantly went to work, without a word.

"Have you...considered...my offer...?" Ferahgo finally asked, through clenched teeth as she rubbed down his wound with a gentle paw.

"Remind me of what that offer was again? Something about a lifetime of stitching battle wounds, taking orders and living with smelly rodents?"

Ferahgo laughed shortly. "There was never a beast before like you, Marelda. Are you going to...ow!...take it or leave it?"

"Tell me why I should take it. I was raised around those who believed in kindness and respect, and you are obviously not going to show either. Why on earth would I not go out on my own once I have shown you Redwall? What is to stop me from leaving this place? Not that this job does not have it's perks- I am grateful, don't get me wrong, master." Marelda was merely fishing to see how much he really wanted her as his bride. If he actually cared about her, she might at least know then that she was safe. For the time being until his mood changed, at any rate. She began wrapping a clean bandage around him and he looked at her, his paw clinging to the frame of the cot tightly.

"Because I could give you everything you ever desired once I accomplish it- it being my master plan of overtaking all the lands." He said.

"And what material things do you think that I would desire so badly?" The weasel gurgled on her back and she began to sway slowly back and forth to amuse it.

"Who says it has to be merely material things? You are unlike any beast- ow!- I have ever met. Your place is not an advisor. I'm not sure it ever truly was. I am offering you a promotion, take it."

Marelda sighed inwardly with relief. "I would not settle for anything less than love. I would never be your bride. Your right hand beast? Quite possibly. But I am afraid I am perfectly content where I sit right now, above the rest." She finished washing his wound and swiftly secured a bandage around it, after having wiped away a strange green ooze. He winced, but didn't complain, so she went back to her cooking.

"And if I said that I did...love you?"

"I wouldn't believe a word of it. I'm not _that_ gullible. I'm perfectly content just being an advisor. I don't want to be chained for anything less than perfection and this-"

"Could be perfection. It could be anything you wanted it to be, just say the word." She whirled around and saw him standing close. Her jaw dropped. Ferahgo had to be in a massive amount of pain- he was breathing hard, sweating and his words were pushed through gritted fangs. It was obviously quite an effort, and no beast in his body would've gotten up for anything less than something excruciatingly important.

"You need to sit. Now!" She tried to ease him back onto the bed, but he caught her paws. She began to get very nervous. He forced her to sit down on the cot beside him, even though sitting wasn't much less painful.

"Listen to me, Marelda. I don't know how to explain this to you, you know that I am not the type to show...emotion. I don't give a damn about any beast other than myself. But for some stupid reason I can't figure out, I give a damn about you. I have never felt like this before and I'm not even entirely sure of what it is or even if it is this 'love' thing that I could even express it. I present it to you as a promotion, and I promise you everything you desire. That silly babe is merely the perfect excuse to have you as my bride without any of my potential enemies seeing you as a weakness. You are cunning and I want you to be my right hand, but, I also want for us never to grapple for power and...I...I don't want you to ever leave me. Certainly not because of something as silly as a few thousand hectares of woodland."

"Ferahgo, the infection has gone to your head. You need to lay down and rest awhile." She tried again to make him relax, but again he wouldn't. It was easy to see he was in agony, but all his eyes betrayed was an unselfish passion, uncommon to his cool orbs of blue.

"I am not lying down until you tell me exactly what I want to hear and mean it, Marelda. You have two choices: you can either walk away and stay exactly as you are, or, you can stay and tell me you'll accept the job."

"That's all you want it to be to me? A job? Being with you forever as a job?"

"I don't want it to be that way, but how could anyone ever love me back? All I want is for you to say you'll never leave. You can have anything in the world, just agree to that one thing."

Marelda's eyes softened and something clicked deep inside her soul. She understood. She took his paw in hers almost without realizing it. There was something still alive in that cold, black abyss of a soul he owned. He had the capacity to love. The capacity to love her. He was a monster, that had not changed. But perhaps there was a reason for his madness. Perhaps everyone really could change. She was suddenly not apologetic for not leaving him to die the day before.

"I don't love you, Ferahgo. But with a little patience, it would not be hard to learn. It is not impossible to love you. It's merely too dangerous for many to want to try." She closed her eyes and tilted her head, leaning in closer to him- but the little bundle on her back began to wail, and she quickly snapped out of her near trance and tended to the rascal.

"So, is that a yes?" He asked rather softly. Marelda smiled and nodded, humming to the baby and rocking it to calm him.

"That is most definitely a yes."

The deadly murderer laid back on his cot with the largest grin on his face that she had ever seen a living creature wear. His muscles finally relaxed and she placed a cool cloth over his brow after she had finished tending to Klitch. She opened her mouth to say something else to her new fiancée, but she was interrupted...


	8. The Final Act

**A/N: This is the final instalment of The Assassin's Bride- hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading (especially to those of you who reviewed!) and I hope I'll have something new to offer you soon. :)**

"Ferahgo!" One of the cloaked ones came in again, interrupting them. Marelda thought the rat would be hurt, judging by the look on his face, but the worst the leader ended up doing was snapping at him.

"What is it this time, you blubbering buffoon?!"

"A riot. An uproar. They say you're going soft and I think that they may try to replace you. You need to get out here now if you want to keep your control."

The weasel leapt up, refusing to even wince, pushing past Marelda and getting dangerously close to the messenger of bad news. Marelda held Klitch tightly in her arms and murmured a lullaby to keep the babe distracted, while her own eyes were glued on the potential confrontation.

"No one tells me what to do so as not to lose control over my horde. I always have control. And if any of them think I'm weakening, they are going to be sorely mistaken." He snarled, pushing the rat backwards and muttering curses. He left the tent with a flourish and neither Marelda nor the cloaked villain waited for an invitation to follow him.

A crowd was outside his tent, still sitting down and discussing the details of their plan. Most looked at their leader with horror- the rest with simple shock at seeing him standing before them again, looking just as strong as ever. One thing was for certain, he was still as vicious and tenacious as ever.

"Anyone who thinks I'm going soft because of a pathetic shrew, a fox maid and a runt can come up and challenge me to my face now! If any of you think that you have the brains and the brawn to take control of this horde, don't act like the pathetic cowards you are and shoot me through the back- come face me and we'll settle this like decent beasts! There is honour among thieves, my friends! Step up if you dare."

The vermin looked nervously at each other, all of their confidence suddenly evaporating under Ferahgo's deep blue stare. He grinned when no beast stepped forward. He raised his eyebrows and turned to go back in the tent, muttering to Marelda to start packing for the march. They were continuing on to Redwall. The deception would have to continue.

The march North was easy going- they stopped often at Marelda's command, with Ferahgo pretending the entire time that he was strong enough to continue. His wound was constantly infected and was reopened half a hundred times, but there was not a grimace from the tough hearted leader. She found it one of his very few admirable qualities. And even though they were never alone, she caught his glances and saw his thoughts through his piercing orbs of blue. Every night as she pretended to doze, she thought of the day he invaded and hated him for it, yet every morning her heart would melt. He was cruel and heartless, but, he didn't know any different. And he did have the capacity to care for another creature. She could only hope that changing him wasn't impossible.

Little Klitch seemed to grow on him, too. He would have the little guy sit up on his shoulder sometimes and teach him the names of all the different kinds of weapons one could see looking over the Corpsemakers. It wasn't a great thing to teach a babe, but, Marelda had all the faith in the world that Klitch could turn out better than his adoptive father. Besides, Ferahgo had never held any beast so fragile so close in his life. It was a new experience for them both. It was almost like the three of them were some kind of...family. Something that made the hole in Marelda's heart slowly start to get smaller.

Until the day they came across a tribe of squirrels. They were only a few days from getting a good look at Redwall. They had already seen the tips of it's towers and Ferahgo was practically drooling over the thought of it being his. It would be a castle you could see for miles. A proper headquarters. Of course, he'd have to conquer every beast in every direction reaching as far as necessary as fast as possible. But that was only a minor detail.

The tribe was somewhere in between wild and primitive and having civilized conversation and ideas, leaning more towards the former. There was no way around them and usually a horde of thousands could not go through a tribe without a little reaction. No prisoners and no survivors was the way Ferahgo tended to operate, having given up on the slave/servant idea. The plan was simple- go in, create a massacre, get out. No more complicated storming and surrounding ideas. The assassin wasn't about to waste time and mind power on a bunch of wild fluff tails.

Marelda had a harder time figuring out how to defy her newfound fiancee this time. It was easier with the shrews, who weren't dangerous. The squirrels were unpredictable and she couldn't risk much more than she was already giving to talk to them and warn them about their impending doom. Not to mention she was not given very much notice. They were storming the next morning, after the scouts returned to tell them that the tribe was just ahead.

It was all she could do to sneak out of the camp once Ferahgo was finally asleep. The babe was strapped tightly to her back, because she couldn't risk him crying for her and waking anyone up. No beast could know that she had gone or she'd be exiled. She was not afraid of being killed anymore. She didn't think Ferahgo could bring himself to do it after he'd admitted his feelings for her.

She arrived just outside the camp at near midnight, by her estimation. She could see them all sleeping restlessly on crude makeshift blankets made of soft, wet, river reeds. She was in the process of quieting Klitch and figuring out who their leader was, when she heard a noise behind her. A giggle. She whirled around and found herself at spear point.

She didn't act surprised or alarmed, though she was both. Since joining the Corpsemakers, her emotions had been as easy to hide as the diamonds that still lay underneath her clothes. She was face to face with a strange looking reptile creature and who she assumed to be the squirrel cheiftan.

"Hello, friends. I mean you no harm." she said cordially. The squirrel gave a high pitched laugh that set Klitch to tears. Marelda held the babe close.

"Ssshe isss from the horde- she liessss!" hissed the reptile. The cheiftan poked the stick at her, jestingly. She didn't move. Her captors frowned.

"I do not lie, but yes, I am from there. I am here to tell you that he is coming, and his battle plan so you can defend yourselves. If you are willing to listen, that is."

"Ha! So you know all of the assassin's secrets, is that what you claim? Liar! No beast gets to him."

"This beast does. Why do you think I am holding his son if he did not trust me? I am here to help you. Would you mind putting the spear down? I'm not going to try to hurt you."

The squirrel looked at the lizard, and the lizard looked at the squirrel. The one started chattering in a dialect she couldn't follow and the reptile continued to hiss back it's replies. Finally, the two looked back at her and grinned. She tried to dodge, but the blunt end of the cheif's weapon still caught her and she blacked out.

She woke up to the crackle of a fire, ropes around all her limbs and for a second she thought that everything she'd gone through had just been a mysterious dream and she was still tied in Ferahgo's slave line, the night after her family had been slaughtered. But as she opened her eyes, she found herself in Ferahgo's tent, with the squirrel and lizard looking over her.

"She's awake! She's awake! Now what are you going to do with her- the traitor? Heeehee!" they giggled with delight. It made Marelda sick.

"Our deal has been finalized. You may leave." He said, his voice neither calm nor furious. The words were almost slurred and muttered, as if he didn't have the energy to open his mouth. She looked up at him and slowly sat up. He turned to her once they had left.

"They say you were trading in secrets. You'd better have a good explanation for this."

"They say I was doing what?! That's ridiculous! They kidnapped us! I would never-"

"Those buffoons would not have the sense to strap a babe to you and take Klitch too! Tell me the truth!" He yelled. He had never yelled at her like that before and she found herself starting to shake. She desperately tried to figure out an excuse, but there was none. He had to find out sometime. She looked up at him, sadly.

"What do you want me to say, then? I am not a vermin and I never could be." She said softly. Ferahgo slapped her hard across the cheek and she almost fell into the fire. Even she had to admit, she did deserve that. She looked back up at him from the ground where she lay, with Klitch crying in the background as if he understood what was going on.

Ferahgo's eyes were empty and that hurt Marelda more than his sorrow or his hatred. She was unsure as to what he was going to do, but she couldn't imagine him doing anything worse than telling her to get out of his sight. Turns out she was wrong.

"You...you are a kniving little wench and I...you stooped lower than even I dare to go and betrayed me. No one- male or female, bride or not- gets away with back stabbing Ferahgo the assassin!"

"Ferahgo...You could be so much better. I am not sorry, but I wish with all my heart that you would see that it is not you I despise enough to do this to. It is the fact that you have killed too many innocent creatures for me to ever be able to stand here in this place of power and not do anything about it. You and me, we could walk away from this?"

"No. Only you will walk away from this. You will take a long walk away from this. All the way to the happy little forest that no creature has ever returned from." One swipe of the knife blade hidden underneath his clothes and Marelda was back with her family, sipping from a cold spring and crying with joy. Her corpse, however, laid motionless at Ferahgo's feet. He turned around and left the tent, almost unable to speak through his fury and frustration.

2 Seasons Later...

They had not gone to Redwall. He never intended to see that horrible place of red stone. It would remind him of her, he could feel it. They had just arrived back home. In the southern lands, where people cowered constantly before him, afraid of his terrible might. It was still not the same. Klitch was at his side. He couldn't bear to get rid of the tyke. Not to mention he did need someone to carry on his legacy. One that would keep growing. His reign of destruction had widened since Marelda's murder, due to his rage. No one dared come close any more. He preferred it that way.

He returned to his home, for the first time in several seasons. It was a small stone hut. Easily destroyed and easily rebuilt. The rest of the horde slept in tents unless they made their own shelter near by. But when Ferahgo opened his door, he was blinded by his own reflexion.

It glared back at him via innumerable diamonds of every, shape and size, shimmering in the light. A simple note was left behind, it read:

Remember her, you murderer. Remember her child. And remember that she did it all for what you did to me. I'll be watching you. You can count on that.

the last survivor,

Klitch

--

The room was still as the fox stretched in his chair, looking around to see the effect of his story. The dubbins looked confused, the older ones looked intrigued, while the adults just sat there in solemn silence. The older ones only seemed to be trying to remember something long forgotten.

"Ferahgo never kept the diamonds. They were thrown into the river and are probably at the bottom of a lake bed by now, or in the paws of some kind of otter tribe. Either way, they are not in the paws of any vermin of any type any more. Ferahgo is long gone and that is all the tale has to offer."

"But why did you go to all that work of giving him the diamonds, then?" asked a well built hedgehog, wisely.

The fox smiled. "You have put the facts together correctly. I am Klitch. I was the only one left alive who knew where all the diamonds were hidden and I figured I would use my young mind to my advantage, lest I forget later, or trip over a rock and fall off a cliff. I gave them to Ferahgo to show him something. I had no need of being rich. I had nothing to do with pounds and pounds of shiny rocks. But Ferahgo, he would see that what he got was not what he really wanted, and might put them to good use. The diamonds are just rare stones. There are other stashes in the world."

"Why did you never tell her you were there, though? She was doing it all for you." asked a young mouse, wise beyond his years. Although it was a question everyone had burning in their minds.

"Because she never would have done it had it not been for me. Her pain was a small price to pay, considering the lives she saved, don't you think? Sometimes brave people have to give a lot to give others even more..."


End file.
